Spring tester



Oct. 24, 1939. E. w. BITZER ET AL SPRING TESTER Original Filed June 11, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l ya? Herb 2 W 'J0/7/7 or; W 2 A TTORNE Y s [N VENTOR s Oct. 24, 1939. E. w. BVITZER El AL 21,242

4 SPRING TESTER Original Filed June 11; 1932, 2 Sheefs-Sheet 2 Reiaued a. 24, 1939 UNITED s rA-ras PATENT oral CE 21,242 SPRING TESTER. Edward W. Bitzer and Herbert W. Johnson,

Muskegon. Mich., assignors to American Coil Spring Company, Muskegon, Mich.

Original No. 1,992,987. dated March 5, 1935, Se-

rial No. 616,632, June 11, 1932. Application for reissue September 14, 1935, Serial No. 41.406

14 Claims. (Cl. 73-5l) surface is exactly square and true.

The object of the invention is to.determine the trueness and accuracy of construction of a coil spring such as a valve spring. Valve springs especially should be so constructed as to exert an even pressure on all sides of the valve or an exactly central pressure, so that the valve will seat and close effectively at all points of its circumference. v

Objects pertaining to details and economies of construction and operation will appear from the description to follow. Preferred embodiments of our invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of our improved spring tester with a spring in position under compression;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail elevation view partially in section on the plane of line 2--2 of Fig.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation view partially in section on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the swivel testing head and,.parts showing the head tipped to an extreme position;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a modified construction of the swivel head, in which a single ball bearing is utilized;

Fig. 6 is a similar detail sectional view of another modification of swivel test head in which a comically pointed bearing and corresponding seat is utilized;

Fig. 7 is a still further modification of swivel test head in which a crossed knife edge bearing is utilized; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical detail sectional view on line 88 of 'Fig. 7, showing details of construction.

The parts will be identified by their numerals of reference which are the same in all the views. I is the base, 2 is the standard carried thereby and 3 is the head for supporting the column car"- rying the swivel test head. '4 is the test plunger with a disk-like head I at the top carrying a guide 42 for the bottomcoil of a spring being tested. This guide 'is removable and may be replaced. by one of suitable size to test anyspring or article under test. j

The plunger 5 has a rack formed therein, preferably. cut therein. pinion 5 carried on shaft 5|. The shaft is disposed transversely through the base as seen in This is engaged by Fig. 3, being supported brbushing 52 adjacent one end where it is provided with a suitable collar 52'. 53 is a removable bushing held in place by screw 53 and supporting the other end of the shaft. The shaft is provided with a disk or actu- 5 ati'ng hand wheel 8 exteriorly of flue bushing 53 which is clamped in place by lock nut 1, radial holes being provided in these parts for their ready operation by wrench, pin or otherwise. 54 is a rocking lever carried on collar 55 which is clamped in place on the shaft 5| against flange 56 forming a part of said shaft by conical bearing 6| on the hand wheel 6. It will be seen that the plunger 4 is raised or lowered by the operation of the pinion 5. A suitable'stop 55 is provided-on the collar 55 to limit its motion by contact with the stop 55" on the base.

In a suitable bushing 8, vertically disposed in a bore 3Iin the head 3, is an adjustable column 9.

This is screw threaded at its upper end in the bushing B and is locked securely in place by the lock nut 9|. The lower end is in the form of a bearing ball 92 constituting a member of a ball and socket universal joint. I I0 is the swivel testing head provided with a socket bearing for the ball 92, the same being provided with a quantity of anti-frcition balls I0! and being retained in place by cap plate I02 retained in place by screw means I03. The swivel head I0 is provided with a perfectly true. upwardly facing flange I04. It is also provided with a detachable guide ")5 for the top coil of a spring to be tested. This is held by a screw nut or ring I06.

A cooperating gauge head H with downturned knife edged contacting rim Ill operates with the swivel test head Ill. The gauge head His carried by the sleeve I I2 which fits and turns and slides upon the sleeve bearing l2 which is castillated at top and bottom to receive bearing balls I3. The sleeve I I2 reciprocates and turns very freely on the sleeve I 2 and the said bearing balls. From the sleeve H2 extends upwardly a plunger l4 which is provided at its upper end with a universal joint l5 which connects to the pltman I5 that operates a gauge or other suitable indicating means ll. This gauge may be graduated to thousandths of an'inch or it may he graduated ably by using a true cylindrical block comparable with the spring dimension, so that it is known to be true. The plunger I is then lowered, the spring I! to be tested is placed on the head II and adjusted accurately on the guide 42 and is then adjusted on the guide III on the .swivel head II. The machine having been previously .set to enable the spring tobe compressed to its maximum working pressure, the lever 50 is operated and pulled over against the stop ll". If-the spring is exactly true, the swivel plate II will not be tipped so thatthe indicating means employed will not be operated, i. e. the gauge II will register zero. If, however, the spring is in the slightest particular out of true, one edge of a the swivel plate II will beralsed higher than the opposite edge. This shows angular reaction out of line with the central axis of thespring, that is, it results in an indication of any distortional transmission of forces in any direction about the periphery of the end of the spring while the same is compressed within its working range. As a result the swivel plate will tip (see the same exaggerated in Fig. 4) and in whichever direction it tips, on that side it will rise above the normal and lift the gauge head ll, thereby carrying up the sleeve III and the plunger II and actuating the pitman it which operates the'gauge II. The structure may be so graduated that variations of a thousandth of an inch can be indicated.

We have not shown the details of the 881188 as we deem that unnecessary to properly understand our invention.

We have shown the swivel test head ll very much tipped in Fig. 4' to make clear its operation. In Fig. 5 we show the same swlveled plate with a simple ball bearing 20. In Fig. 6 we show the same thing with a pointbearing ll and in 1'18. 7, we show the same thing with crossed knife edge bearings 22.

I It is thought that the invention and. many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described be l merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

We claim:

i. In a spring tester, the combination of a base having a socket, a standard, a head supp rted by said standard, a plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on saidplunger head, a rack and pinion means for actuating the said plunger, an adjustable column in said standard head, a swivel test head having a trued upper surface and a spring contact surface opposed to said plunger, a universal joint connecting said test head to said column, a sleeve slide surrounding and supported by said column, a head on said sleeve. slide having a downturned contacting flange to cooperate with the trued upper surface of said swivel test head, a

gauge having a support above the said column, and connections from the sleeve slide to said gauge to operate the same to reglster any angular deflections of the spring.

2. In a spring tester, the combination of a base having a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on said plunger head, means for actuating the said plunger, an adjustable column in said standard head, a swivel test head having a trued upper surface and a spring contact surface opposed to said plunger, a universal knife edge joint connecting said test head to said column, a sleeve slide surrounding and supported by said column,

a head could sleeve slide having a downturned contacting flange to cooperate with the trued upper surface of said swivel test head, a gauge having a support above the said column, and

connections from the sleeve slide to said gauge to operate the same to register any angular deflection of the spring.

3. In a spring tester, the combination of a base having a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on said plunger head, means for actuating the said plunger, a column in said standard head, a

Y swivel test head having a trued upper surface and a spring contact surface opposed to said plunger, a universal knife edge joint connecting said test head to said column, a sleeve slide surrounding and supported by said column, a head on said sleeve slide having a downturned contacting flange to cooperate with the trued upper surface of said swivel test head, a gauge having a support above the said column, and connections from the sleeve slide to said gauge to operate the same to register any angular deflection ofthe spring.

4. In a spring tester, the combination of a base having a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a'plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on said plunger head, means for. actuating -the saidplunger, a column in said standard head, a swivel test head having a trued upper surface and a spring contact surface opposed to said.

plunger, a universal knife edge joint connecting said test head to said column, a slide supported by said column, a head on said slide having a downturned contacting flange to cooperate with the trued upper surface of said swivel test head, a

gauge having a support above the said column, and connections from the slide to said gauge to operate the same to register any angular deflection of the spring.

5. Ina spring tester, the combination of a base having a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on said plunger head, means for actuating the said plunger, a column in said standard head,

said standard, a plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on said plunger head, a rack and pinion means for actuating the said plunger, an adjustable column in said standard head, a swivel test head having a trued upper surface and a spring contact surface opopsed to said plunger, 8. universal cone point joint connecting said test head to said column, a sleeve slide surrounding and supported by said column, a head on said sleeve slide having a downturned contacting flange to cooperate with the trued upper surface of said swivel test head, a

gauge having a support above the said column,

'and connections from the sleeve slide to said gauge to operate the same to register any angular deflection of the spring.

'7. In a spring tester, the combination of a basehaving a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a plunger in said socket in said contacting flange to cooperate with the trued upper surface of said swivel test head, a gauge having a support above the said column, and connections from the sleeve slideto said gauge to operate the same to register any angular deflection of the spring.

8. In a spring tester, the combination of a base having a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on said plunger head, means for actuating the said plunger, a column in said standard head, a swivel test head having a trued upper surface and a spring contact surface opposed to said plunger, a universal cone point joint connecting said test head to said column, a sleeve slide surrounding and supported by said column, a head on said sleeve slide having a downturned contacting flange to cooperate with the trued upper surface of said swivel te'st head, a gaugefhaving a. support above the said column, and connections from the sleeve slide to said gauge to operate the same to register any angular deflection or the spring.

9. In a spring tester, the combination of a base having a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a plunger in said socket insaid base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on said plunger head, means for actuating the said plunger, a column in saidstandard heads swivel test head having a trued upper surface and a spring contact surface opposed to said plunger, a universal cone point joint connecting said test head to said column, a slide supported by said column, a head on said slide having a downturned contacting flange to cooperate with the trued up= per surface of said swivel test head, a gauge having a support above the said column, and connections from the slide to said gauge to operate the same to register any angular deflection of the spring.

10. In a spring tester, the combination of a base having a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on said plunger head, means for actuating the said plunger, a column in said standard head. a swivel test head having a spring contact surface opposed to said plunger, a universal cone point Joint connecting said test head to said col-- umn, a slide supported by said column, a head on said slide having a downtumed contacting flange to cooperate with the said swivel test head, a gauge having a support above the said column,

and connections from the slide to operate the same to register any angular deflection of the spring.

11. In a spring base having a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring uide on said'plunger head, a rack and pinion v means for actuating the said plunger, an adjustable column in said standard head, a swivel test head having a trued upper surface, and a spring contact surface opposed to said plunger, a universal joint connecting .said test head to said column, a. sleeve slide surrounding and supported by said column, a head on said sleeve slide to cooperate with the trued upper surface of said swivel test head, a gauge having a support above tester, the combination of a the said column, and connections from the sleeve slide to said gauge to operate the same to'register any angular deflection of the spring.

12. In a spring tester, the combination of a base having'a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on said plunger head, means for actuating the said plunger, a column in said standard head, a swivel test head having a spring contact surconnecting said test head to said column, a slide supported by said column, a head on said slide to cooperate with the said swivel test head, a gauge having a support above the said column,

and connections from the slide to operate the same. to register any angular deflection of the spring.

13. In a spring tester, the combination of a base having a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a. plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on said plunger head, means for actuating the said plunger, a column in said standard head, a swivel test head having a trued upper surface and a spring contact surface opposed to said plunger, a universal conepoint joint connecting said test head to said column, a sleeve slide surrounding and supported by said column, a head on said sleeve slide to coperate with the trued upper surface of said swivel test head, a gauge having a support above the said column, and connections from the sleeve slide to said gauge to operate the same to register any angular deflection of the spring.

14. In a spring tester, the combination of a base having a socket, a standard, a head supported by said standard, a plunger in said socket in said base and having a suitable head, a spring guide on said plunger head, means for actuating the said plunger, a column in said standard head, a swivel test head having a spring contact surface opposed to said plunger, a universal some point joint connecting said test head to said col umn, a slide supported by said column, a head on said slide to cooperate with the said swivel test head, a gauge having a support above the said column, and connections from the slide to operate the same-to register any angular deflection oi the spring.

EDWARD W. BI'I'ZER. rmanm'r W. JOHNSON.

face opposed to saidplunger, a universal joint 

